Tree Description:
A large tree usually growing to 50 feet tall, but can reach 100 feet, with one or more trunks to 3 feet in diameter and an upright branching habit. In winter the reddish-brown or golden twigs are conspicuous.
Range/Site Description:
Occurs throughout Texas, along streams, in wet areas, and on riverbanks, frequently in groups or thickets.
Leaf:
Simple, alternate, 3" to 6" long and 0.5" to 0.75" wide, linear-lanceolate in shape, leaf margin finely-toothed; leaves are bright green on both sides, turning pale yellow in the fall.
Flower:
Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees in the spring as catkins, 1" to 3" long.
Fruit:
A long, cylindrical string of capsules, 3" to 4" long, each containing numerous small seeds with long silky hairs which enable them to be blown long distances.
Bark:
Light brown, gray, or black, developing broad plates that separate from the trunk and give it a somewhat shaggy appearance.
Wood:
Wood is soft, light, and not strong. A high grade of charcoal, used in the manufacture of gunpowder, is obtained from willow wood, and it is also used in manufacture of artificial limbs.
Similar Species:
Weeping willow (Salix babylonica) has long branchlets that droop to the ground and is often planted near wet areas.
Interesting Facts:
Willow bark was used by native peoples and early settlers as a headache remedy because it contains salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin.
